Electric switch with multiple contact actuator tie bar construction capable of multi- or single-switch selection



w. E. CLARK 3,317,683 ELECTRIC SWITCH WI ITIPLE C ACT ACTUATOR TIE BAR CONSTRUC J CAPABLE MULTT-- OR *TCH SELECTION TH ML SINGLE- Filed Oct.

May 2, 1967 United States Patent 3,317,683 ELECTRIC SWITCH WITH MULTIPLE CONTACT ACTUATOR TIE BAR CONSTRUCTION CAPABLE OF MULTI- OR SINGLE-SWITCH SELECTION William Edward Clark, Framingham, Mass., assignor to Ark-Les Switch Corporation, Watertown, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Oct. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 496,487 3 Claims. (Cl. 200) The present invention relates to circuit controllers and more particularly to an improved electric switch essembly of the general type having two actuators, one of which will operate two switches, the other actuator operating only one of said switches.

It is an object of the invention to provide a switch assembly of this general description in which one switch actuator having a manual return will operate when pressed to shift both switches to operating position, and when released, will return to the initial off position leaving the other said switch actuator in the on position, and in which the other said switch actuator is adapted to be manually shifted to the on position without moving the first named switch or its operator from the normal off position.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel and improved switch assembly of the general description here shown having two switch actuators selectively operable to control the operation of one or both switches, which is of simple, sturdy construction and can be counted upon to operate in a reliable manner.

With these and other objects in view as may hereinafter appear, the several features of the invention will be readily appreciated by one skilled in the art from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a switch assembly embodying in a preferred form the several features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded View in perspective of the switch actuators and the intervening U-shaped insert;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the spring switch contact arms;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the switch assembly of FIG. 1 with a central portion of the assembly broken away and sectioned to illustrate the relationship of the switch actuators and the U-shaped insert;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the switch assembly in side elevation taken on a line 5--5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view in elevation taken on a line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on a line 7--7 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a plan section taken on a line 8-8 of FIG. 5 but on a smaller scale to illustrate the operation of the switch actuators and switch arms, the parts being shown in the normal inoperative position;

FIG. 9 is a plan section similar to FIG. 8, the spring controlled switch actuator having been pressed to engage both switches; and

FIG. 10 is a plan section similar to FIGS. 8 and 9, the only other of said switch actuators having been pressed to engage only the second switch.

In carrying out the invention a two controller rocker type switch is illustrated which may be employed, for example, to operate a windshield washer and wiper, the two controllers being interconnected so that these functions of the switch will be related to one another automatically.

Referring to the drawing, the switch comprises a housing of which two opposed side walls are formed with upwardly extending ears 22 and 24 each of which provides bearing support for one of two aligned axle pins 26 and 28. A U shaped bracket 30 secured to the top face of the housing 20 in alignment with the ears 22, 24 provides a second bearing support for each of said axle pins 26, 28. A rocker type manually operable switch actuator 32 employed for controlling the washing operation, and hereinafter referred to as the first switch actuator, is pivotally mounted on the axle pin 28. The switch actuator 32 comprises a V shaped block 34 formed with two fiat, spaced apart, upward extensions 36 apertured to receive the axle pin 28, and a finger control member 38 providing manual rocker push surfaces. A similarly formed switch actuator 40 consisting of a V shaped block 42 with two spaced apart upward extensions 44 and a finger control member 45 is pivotally supported on the axle pin 26. The axle pins 28 and 26 are in alignment, so that the two switch actuators are arranged to turn about the same axis.

The switch actuators are interconnected by means of a U shaped tie member 46 which passes under a portion of the switch housing 20 intervening between the two switch actuators on which is secured the bracket 30, and is formed with two arms which project upwardly and are pivoted to the respective axle pins 28, 26 adjacent the respective switch actuators 32 and 40. One said arm is formed with a projection 48 which is fitted into a slot 50 in the switch actuator 32, providing a solid operating connection between said first switch actuator 32 and the tie member 46. The other upwardly extending arm of the tie member 46 is formed with a projection 52 which is fitted into a wide slot 54, the arrangement being such that, when the first switch actuator is rocked clockwise from the off position of FIG. 6, the tie member is likewise rocked clockwise by the solid projection and slot connection causing the projection 52 to engage the side of slot 54 moving the second switch actuator 40 also clockwise to its on position. It will be noted that when the first switch actuator 32 and tie member occupy the normally off position of FIG. 6, the-second switch actuator 40 may be moved freely be tween on and off position. The first switch actuator 32 is biased normally in a counter-clockwise direction to the off position by means of a torsion spring 56 coiled about the axle pin 28 between the two upward extensions of switch actuator 32, being attached at one end to the switch actuator and at its other end to the housing 20.

The switch connections controlled by the switch actuators 32 and 40 as best shown in FIGS. 3, 8, 9 and 10, comprise an electrical input terminal 58, a switch terminal 60 adapted to be closed by the first switch actuator 32 and a switch terminal 62 adapted to be closed by the second switch actuator 40. Current is channelled from the input terminal to said output terminals through a U-shaped conductor 64, which may be of beryllium copper, is secured by a rivet 66 to a wall of the housing 20, so that the two arms thereof project transverse ly between the V-shaped block portions 34 and 42 of the switch actuators. One arm of the conductor 64 forms a switch arm 68 adapted to be engaged by the first switch actuator 32 with the terminal 60. The other arm of the conductor 64 is bifurcated to form an arm 70 which is continuously engaged with the input terminal 58, and a switch arm 72 to be engaged by the second switch actuator 40 with switch terminal 62. The block portion 34 of the switch actuator 32 is formed with a vertical tapered projection 74 having spring pressed contact with the switch arm 68. For the off position of the switch actuator 32 as shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 8, in which the switch actuator is moved counter-clockwise against an abutting edge of the top surface of the housing 20 (see FIG. 6), the projection 74 acts to hold the switch arm 68 away from the switch terminal 60. Movement of the switch actuator in a clockwise direction causes the projection 74 to ride into a recessed portion of the switch arm permitting the switch to close. A similarly formed projection 76 on the block portion 42 of the switch actuator 40 for the counter-clockwise ofi position of the switch (see FIGS. 7 and 8) engages a recessed portion of the switch arm 72 to disengage the switch. Movement of the switch actuator 40 clockwise causes the projection 76 to ride off said recess portion of the switch arm to close the switch.

The operation of the double rocker type switch above described will 'be briefly described in connection With its suggested use for controlling an automobile windshield washer and wiper mechanism. To activate the wash mechanism the switch actuator 32 is pressed against the pressure of its spring 56 clockwise moving the block portion 74 to the right as shown in FIG. 9, so that the switch arm engaging projection rides into the recessed portion of switch arm 68 and the switch contact 60 is closed. At the same time, the tie member 46, solidly connected with switch actuator 32, is rocked clockwise acting through the lug 52 to rock the switch actuator 40 also clockwise to the position of FIG. 9, thereby activating the wiper mechanism. Projection 76 rides off the recessed portion of switch arm 72 closing switch contact 62, to start the windshield wiper. When the switch actuator 32 is released by the operator, the switch actuator 32 returns to its initial position under the influence of spring 56, and the washing operation is arrested. The wiper continues in operation since the counter-clockwise movement of tie member 46, causes the lug 52 to be moved relatively across the wide slot 54 without moving the switch actuator 40 from its operating position. The switch actuator 40 may be returned to off position at any time by manual operation of same.

If the switch actuator 40 for the wiper is pressed only the V shaped block and projection 76 are moved to the left to close switch contact 62 to initiate operation of the wiper while the switch actuator 32 and wash mechanism actuated thereby remain inoperative. A rocking movement of the wiper switch actuator 40 clockwise from the normally inoperative position of FIG. 7, because of the lost motion between lug 52 and the wide slot 54, doe not move the tie member 46 or switch actuator 32. The resulting position of the switch connections is that shown in FIG. 10.

The invention having been described what is claimed is:

1. A circuit controller for a pair of off and on switches, having in combination, a first manual switch actuator rotatable about an axis between alternate on and off positions to engage and disconnect one of said switches, a second manual switch actuator rotatable about said axis between on and off positions to engage and disconnect the other of said switches, and a tie member rotatable about said axis having a solid operating connection with said first switch actuator and a lost motion connection with said second switch actuator, providing a solid connection from said first manual switch actuator thru said tie member for moving said second switch actuator with said first switch actuator to on position, and a lost motion return connection between said tie member and said second manual switch actuator permitting said first switch actuator to return independently of said second switch actuator means bearing said first manual switch actuator to the off position, the lost motion connection of the tie member with said second manual switch actuator further providing a free movement of said second switch actuator between on and oif positions for the off position of said first switch actuator.

2. A circuit controller according to claim 1 having, in combination, spring means biasing said first switch actuator to the off position, whereby said solid connection acts when said first switch actuator is pressed to shift said second switch connection to on position, and said lost motion connection operates upon the spring return of said first switch actuator to leave said second switch actuator in on position.

3. A circuit controller according to claim 1 having in combination, means providing an axle support on which said manual switch actuators are rockably mounted in spaced relation to each other for movement in the same direction to on and in the reverse direction to off positions, and a tie member disposed between said manual switch operators for rocking movement on said axle support, a pin and slot connection providing a solid connection between said tie member and said first manual rockable switch actuator, and a pin and slot connection providing a loose connection between said tie member and said second rockable switch actuator shaped to move the second rockable switch actuator to the on position with said first rockable switch actuator and to leave said first switch actuator in off position when said second switch actuator is moved between off and on positions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,040,140 6/ 1962 Nimylowycz 200 3,110,779 11/1963 Cotton 20050 3,210,488 10/1965 Cataldo et a1. 200- ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner.

J. R. SCOTT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CIRCUIT CONTROLLER FOR A PAIR OF OFF AND ON SWITCHES, HAVING IN COMBINATION, A FIRST MANUAL SWITCH ACTUATOR ROTATABLE ABOUT AN AXIS BETWEEN ALTERNATE ON AND OFF POSITIONS TO ENGAGE AND DISCONNECT ONE OF SAID SWITCHES, A SECOND MANUAL SWITCH ACTUATOR ROTATABLE ABOUT SAID AXIS BETWEEN ON AND OFF POSITIONS TO ENGAGE AND DISCONNECT THE OTHER OF SAID SWITCHES, AND A TIE MEMBER ROTATABLE ABOUT SAID AXIS HAVING A SOLID OPERATING CONNECTION WITH SAID FIRST SWITCH ACTUATOR AND A LOST MOTION CONNECTION WITH SAID SECOND SWITCH ACTUATOR, PROVING A SOLID CONNECTION FROM SAID FIRST MANUAL SWITCH ACTUATOR THRU SAID TIE MEMBER FOR MOVING SAID SECOND SWITCH ACTUATOR WITH SAID FIRST SWITCH ACTUATOR TO ON POSITION, AND A LOST MOTION RETURN CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID TIE MEMBER AND SAID SECOND MANUAL SWITCH ACTUATOR PERMITTING SAID FIRST SWITCH ACTUATOR TO RETURN INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID SECOND SWITCH ACTUATOR MEANS BEARING SAID FIRST MANUAL SWITCH ACTUATOR TO THE POSITION, THE LOST MOTION CONNECTION OF THE TIE MEMBER WITH SAID SECOND MANUAL SWITCH ACTUATOR FURTHER PROVIDING A FREE MOVEMENT OF SAID SECOND SWITCH ACTUATOR BETWEEN ON AND OFF POSITIONS FOR THE OFF POSITION OF SAID FIRST SWITCH ACTUATOR. 